My Vision of Leadership

Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to high sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations. —Peter Drucker

As I sit to write the final in my 5 part series on Leadership, i reflect on the topics discussed. The interactions and comments in response to the posts have been helpful. For this, i thank my ardent readers. M005 has provided me with a platform to reflect on my vision of leadership and I have become very resolute to improve my leadership skills.

In the last ten weeks, I have often had to question my leadership skills – what sort of leader I am presently and in what direction do my leadership skills lead. My learning environment and context have also provided the opportunity to develop in several areas of leadership. In week 4, using the Belbin framework, my personality profile exercise identified me as a Teamworker. It showed that I am comfortable under my skin as a Coordinator or as a Team Player. In another exercise with the Identity Compass®, it identified that i have strong traits as an influencer but additionally, i like to work in groups than on my own. In pursuit of my leadership objectives, I realise that I need to focus on working independently, to be able to take decisions on my own without requiring affirmation or validation from others. I  remember that once, during a team exercise a colleague challenged me but replied that i preferred participative leadership as a style. Perhaps this explains my preference for the  genuine laissez faire type of leadership in my 3rd blog (Remi-John 2016). It is interesting that majority of respondents to my blog were opposed to the laissez faire leadership style. I have since replied in comments to explain my views. Because of the ambiguities regarding that style of  leadership i have chosen to promote transformational leadership in further discourse.

Feedback from the personality profile exercises above is in line with feedback from coursemates. I have been told that I foster teamwork and provide guidance on tasks. This is positive. On the other hand, an  improvement area is leaving room for team members to air their own views in class. I have taken note of this and have since made conscious efforts to become a better person. Having noted the feedback and my areas of improvement, the question arises….

Why Would Anyone Be Led by Me?

The opening quote, the header in the post captures my vision of leadership. Three verbs in the quote by Drucker() – ‘lifting’, ‘raising’ and ‘building’ describe my leadership philosophy. Leadership uplifts and elevates. Leadership is a ‘doing’ word. Juxtaposing  Bass (1990), I would like to present myself as a transformational leader. Notice that this has been a recurring theme in my previous posts.

 

 

A Transformational Leader i admire

Fig 1 Oprah Winfrey                                                                         Source:  Daily mail.co.uk

My choice transformational leader is Oprah Winfrey. She demonstrates the four elements of transformational leadership as illustrated in the table below.

I realize that the leadership journey is continuous. I may not be the perfect transformational leader yet but  i am certainly a better leader than i was ten weeks ago. I am motivated by the fact that leaders are made and not born. According to Bass(1990) a transformational leader elevates. A transformational leader is passionate and through passion and charisma he connects emotionally with his followers and wields power and influence. Transformational leadership requires a high activity level. It is impossible to achieve transformational leadership in a passive way. I am often challenged by this requirement A transformational leader must not withdraw from his protégés. He must be willing to ‘labour in love’ until the transformation is complete. At the risk of sounding sentimental as a woman myself, studies show that women are more likely to be transformational than men who tend to be transactional (Eagly et al 2003). Additionally studies have also been established that women, though currently under-represented as senior managers are more effective as leaders in the few position they occupy. Women have been seen to be better managers in the areas of people relationships and communication. (Zinger 2012)

As i return to the business world after my MBA i hope to contribute to the statistics of successful female transformational leaders. I will focus on the elements of transformational leadership as listed above, taking into consideration my improvement areas as earlier pointed out . I shall  also remember to develop the much needed skills in assertiveness which i have noted in my personal development plan.

 

THE END

References

1. Bass, B. (1990) “From Transactional To Transformational Leadership: Learning To Share The Vision”. Organizational Dynamics 18 (3), 19-31
2. Eagly, A., Johannesen-Schmidt, M. and van Engen, M. (2003) “Transformational, Transactional, And Laissez-Faire Leadership Styles: A Meta-Analysis Comparing Women And Men.”. Psychological Bulletin 129 (4), 569-591
3. Folkman, Z. (2012) “A Study In Leadership: Women Do It Better Than Men”. Real Women, Real Leaders: Surviving and Succeeding in the Business World [online] available from <http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/store/10.1002/9781119207573.oth2/asset/oth2.pdf?v=1&t=imjfetqv&s=65acbf40a7588a20e4845ef48b2cfe29706c302d&gt; [2 April 2016]
4. Remi-John, A. (2016) “Analysis Of Leadership”. [ 2016] available from <https://wordpress.com/post/culcjohna10.wordpress.com/799&gt; [2 April 2016]

 

Change and Resistance To Change

Change is nothing new and a simple fact of life. Some people actively thrive on new challenges and constant change, while others prefer the comfort of the status quo and strongly resist any change. It is all down to the personality of the individual and there is little management can do about resistance to change” (Mullins 2010: 753)

We live in a world of constant change. Structures and organizations continuous improvement to make way for better processes. The old gives way for new as a means of improving process flows and objectives. This is the change process. Change is inevitable. In agreement with Mullins (2010), it is nothing new and should be regarded as part of the dynamics of human existence. For this reason, organisations and people who are slow to embrace change are often wiped away or forced to adapt and fit in as late majority or laggards (Rogers 2010).

History is replete with examples of front burner organisations like Nokia, Kodak, Blackberry, MySpace who were not proactive in their response to global trends in technology. Passive resistance to change can be draped in the cloak of complacency as was the case with Kodak (Forbes 2012)

Be that as it may, the tempo for change is dictated by top management and spearheaded by the CEO or the leader.

As Mullins(2010) rightly states there are people who thrive on new challenges and constant change. These are those who willingly embrace change and work in tandem with the CEO. However, As people are of various tendencies preferences and personalities, some will always resist change. Mullins admits that ‘there is little management can do about resistance to change’. While i agree that resistance to change is natural, I believe that a leader’s influence can persuade his followers effectively to embrace change and achieve the change objectives.

Managers can overcome resistance to change by employing one or combining any of the models I discuss below. In the third, i illustrate  with a practical example of a change process in which I was involved.

1. Tipping Point Leadership Model

Kim and Maubornge prescribe the tipping point leadership model. A manager must be able to engage the beliefs and energies of his team members. He must visibly engage them with unforgettable calls for change, realize that change is gradual and prioritize resources while he courts key players and stakeholders and silences vocal opponents of change (Kim and Maubornge 2003).

Ironically speaking, opponents of change are a value adding part of the change process. Through them, the leader is challenged to re-examine his dogmas, reevaluate his actions and become more convinced of his pursuit for change.

A leader must be fully convinced of his process before he can convince others otherwise he can be easily swayed from his persuasions and the change process aborted. Ricardo Semler of Semco faced resistance while introducing unconventional systems of operations. (Insead 2014) He was able implement his innovations by insisting on his model without reneging or giving in to ‘ experts or experienced hands’ whose valid points could fault his process.

Change will always be resisted. Neuroscience shows that it is man’s physiological means of self defence in the face of insecurity or when if he feels threatened. The amygdala, the integrative centre for emotions in the brain  triggers a form of alarm and produces the emotion of fear (Schwartz and Rock 71-80).

Seeing that resistance is a natural instinct, a good leader considers it a natural part of the change management process.  Farkas (2013) suggests that resistance is often realistic and legitimate and the leader ought to pay attention and address the issues raised even and as much as possible provide a soft landing for opponents of change.

 

Fig 1: Man’s natural resistance to change is triggered by the amygdala, the part of the brain that promote the reaction of fight or flight.                        Picture Source: linkedin.com

 

2. Kotter’s 8 Steps

John Kotter (1995) established an 8 step process for leading change. It has gained acceptance and its applications across industries as a proven leadership tool in implementing change.

Kotter in eight steps defines a road map that starts with establishing a sense of urgency for change and ends by institutionalizing the change process. Farkas (2013) further explains that urgency goes beyond timing but involves passion and the ability to draw deep hearted commitment from followers/employees. The central theme in Kotter’s approach to change management is that it takes place gradually in steps. The change vision must be well articulated and stakeholders must be carried along at every stage of the change process. Change can only be instituionalised where there is stakeholder engagement. However, as with most models that are defined by numbered steps, Kotter’s 8 step model forecloses further options in the change management process and does not address external influences to the change process.

 

Fig 2: Kotter’s 8 Steps For Managing Change                                                           Source:    Pininterest.com

 

3. Kurt Lewin’s Three Phase Process

Lewin recommends a three phase process of Unfreezing, Movement and Refreeezing for the change process. Critics continue to dismiss Kurt Lewin’s 3 Step Process of Change as being suitable for only small scale change projects (Burnes 2004). However I feel otherwise as I can connect with it. I once worked with a multinational organization, employing thousands of people and we migrated from a legacy software system to an enterprise management system.In retrospect,  i can now relate Lewin’s model with the change process. I was actively involved and featured as a change champion responsible for my department. Lewin’s application to the change process is applied as a case study below:

The Change Journey at N.Nigeria

Table 1: Application of Kurt Lewin’s Three Phase Process to the Change Management Process at N.Nigeria

Successful Change Programme

Fig 3: Celebration of Successful Change Management Process                                Picture Source: Authors’ Archived Files (Names Withheld) 

In conclusion, there are no right or wrong models to approach change. It remains interesting however, that the IBM Global Making Change Work Study reports that only 41% of Change projects are successful. As one of the respondents observed, leaders are often unrealistic about how change is going to happen. (IBM Corporation 2008).

For a change programme to work, the leader must be a transformational leader. Once trust and credibility are not in doubt, employees will go the extra mile and resistance will be minimal. This submission has been well articulated in this blogpost and i believe it holds the key to an efficient Change Management Programme.

  References

Burnes, B. (2004) “Kurt Lewin And The Planned Approach To Change: A Re-Appraisal”. J Management Studies [online] 41 (6), 977-1002. available from <http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2004.00463.x/epdf&gt; [1 April 2016]

Gorran Farkas, M. (2013) “Building And Sustaining A Culture Of Assessment: Best Practices For Change Leadership”. Reference Services Review [online] 41 (1), 13-31. available from <http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/00907321311300857&gt; [1 April 2016]

IBM Global Services, (2008) Making Change Work [online] New York City: IBM Corporation. available from <https://www-935.ibm.com/services/us/gbs/bus/pdf/gbe03104-usen-01-mcw-qr.pdf&gt; [1 April 2016]

Kotter International, (2012) “Barriers To Change: The Real Reason Behind The Kodak Downfall”. Forbes [online] available from <http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkotter/2012/05/02/barriers-to-change-the-real-reason-behind-the-kodak-downfall/#1538bffe3698&gt; [1 April 2016]

Kotter, J. (2013) Leading Change Why Transformation Efforts Fail [online] available from <http://www.machon-adler.co.il/readers/reader17.pdf&gt; [1 April 2016]

Maurborgne, R. and Kim, W. (2003) Tipping Point Leadership [online] available from <http://www.machon-adler.co.il/readers/reader17.pdf&gt; [1 April 2016]

Rock, D. and Schwartz, J. (2006) The Neuroscience Of Leadership. [online] available from <http://www.strategy-business.com/article/06207?gko=6da0a&gt; [1 April 2016]

Rogers, E. (2010) Diffusion Of Innovations. 4th edn. New York: Simon and Schuster

 

Analysis of Leadership

“Which personal style should managers adopt to ensure success? What is the most effective approach to managing the work of subordinates? These questions have been extensively researched and debated over the last century, and while the general consensus has moved away from ‘command and control’ to management and leadership towards more consultative and participative approaches, there is no single ideal, as the best approach may vary according to circumstances and individual characteristics” (CMI 2013).

The ability to Influence and facilitate to achieve an objective is central to the theme of leadership (Yukl 2010).Similarly, management is about getting work done through the efforts of other people. (Mullins 2010).  Both are related and are pivotal to the achievement of objectives by collective effort. A commonly quoted difference in both roles is attributed to Bennis and Nanus and it says  a manager does things right while a leader does the right thing (Bennis and Nanus 1985). Adair  draws a connection with the Three Circle Leadership Model which focuses on achieving the task, developing the team and being mindful of individual needs. It is possible that manager achieves a task and even try to develop his team members. However, only a Leader is able to combine the three aspects effectively as is shown in Fig 1. In the Action- Centred Leadership model, Adair presents a functional approach to leadership

Working with Subordinates: The Most Effective Approach

There are several approaches to leadership. Stogdil (1948) emphasized traits as a precursor to leadership while Katz(1955) focused on skills. Fiedler’s contingency theory and Blanchard’s Situational approach both support that managing subordinates many be dependent on prevailing circumstances, external conditions and and other exigencies. (Northouse 2013). I find the flexibility of the situational approach to leadership quite attractive. It also supports the ideal that ‘ the best approach may vary according to circumstances and individual characteristics” (CMI 2013).

In Hersey and Blanchard’s model the manager provides any of  four dimensions of support and interaction according to the subordinate’s competence and involvement. The downside to this approach is that it can be mechanistic. To corroborate this, there has been limited research to support the assumptions backing the model

Situational Leadership II Source: K Blanchard, P.Zigarmi and D.Zigarmi changingwinds.wordpress.com

Research continues to show that there is not a straight jacketed approach to leadership. (Dulewicz and Higgs 2005)

Bob Seelert, experienced CEO of Saatchi and Saatchi alludes to the belief that managers progress in their career through stages;  Functional leadership in which you focus on building your expertise, skills and technical know how,  Managerial leadership in which you progress to manage others to become specialist and experts and thirdly you become an inspirational leader when you have developed your subordinates in the two previous stages of Functional leadership and Managerial leadership (Meetthebosstv 2016)

My Preferred Leadership Style

Leadership styles can be broadly fitted into three main styles. A short analysis follows in the table below.

Of these three, the Laissez faire style of leadership is my preferred style. However, it is limited in that the leader could become very passive and tend towards transactional form of leadership. David Marquet’s video below demonstrates a positive application of the laissez faire form of leadership. In this video, he demonstrates how subordinates may be guided into producing excellent results if their mental capacities are exploited by providing a platform for proactive followership.

As earlier said, leadership styles may be dictated by prevailing circumstances. However, in my opinion, what i call the the transformational test should be applied to which ever form of leadership is chosen.  A leader should always seek to elevate his followers and work in their best interest. Leadership should elevate the followers. According to Boss (1990), he should meet the emotional needs of his followers.

Leaders to Emulate

I receive inspiration from  women entrepreneurs. In this section, I showcase two whom i consider as role models as a female business owner.

Mary Kay Ash
Source: inspire21.com

Mary Kay Ash

Mary Kay Ash is the founder of a multimillion dollar business with an annual net turnover of over $2billion. She quit her job in protest after a male colleague junior to her was promoted as her boss and paid twice her salary. She employed a women only salesforce, which was unusual at the time. Her leadership style has made a positive impact in the lives of  women all over the world, empowering them to run profitable and rewarding businesses. The mantra of Mark Kay’s business is God First, Family Second and the Career comes third. She teaches her followers to set their priorities right and it shows her interest in their well being. In the words of one of her protégés ” Mary Kay calls you her daughter and looks you dead in the eye. She makes you feel you can do anything. She’s sincerely concerned about your welfare.”

Anita Roddick Source: Quotesgram.com

Anita Roddick

 

Anita Roddick is known for ethical leadership. Additionally, by deep involvement with her employees, she strived to make herself a role model, always telling them, “You can learn in business..,  you can grow, you can be somebody. But to do that, you have to care.”

In an interview she explained her passion by saying ” I want them to understand that this is no dress rehearsal. “You’ve got one life, so just lead it. And try to be remarkable.”

Bad Leadership

Leaders do the right thing. Just as situational leadership may be dependent on external factors, a leader could choose to compromise, exploiting loop holes to a negative advantage.  Jeffrey Skilling of Enron, exploited insider trading and was involved in other unethical practices which led to the  collapse of the company with ripple effect on other companies like Arthur Andersen with thousands of employees losing their jobs and their retirement savings.

Productivity and bottom line are often sacrificed on the altar of bad leadership. The decline of Blackberry/Research in Motion (RIM) is reportedly as a result of leadership rifts between the two co-CEOs resulting in less attention to quality and strategy issues in respect of the  future of the company. As at 2011, it was reported that the company’s shareholders had lost close to $70billion or 82% market value and was valued at $8billion at a time when Apple was worth $400 billion (Marshall 2012).

Conclusion

In this blogpost, i have touched on the leadership styles that resonate with my person as an MBA student and also as an entrepreneur. I strongly believe that  contingency  as against  Hertzberg’s command and control style should determine one’s approach to leadership. I also highlighted the advantage of the laissez faire. It should be noted that an insecure leader is unable to practice genuine laissez faire as trust is the currency of transaction in this approach.

Fiedler, Vroom and Yetton, House and Dessler, Hersey and Blanchard have all developed different dimensions to the contingency leadership model. These all point to the fact that a leader must be flexible to achieve success. It has also impressed on me that service is at the heart of leadership.

References

1. Anon. (2016) Martha Stewart Leadership Style [online] available from <http://www.adviseamerica.com/martha-stewart-leadership-style/&gt; [20 March 2016]
2. Anon. (2016) Ricardo Semler | Management Innovation Exchange [online] available from <http://www.managementexchange.com/users/ricardo-semler&gt; [20 March 2016]
3. BBC.com, (2016) Ex-Enron Boss Jeffrey Skilling’s Sentence Cut To 14 Years – BBC News [online] available from <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23011482&gt; [20 March 2016]
4. Dulewicz, V. and Higgs, M. (2005) “Assessing Leadership Styles And Organisational Context”. Journal of Managerial Psychology [online] 20 (2), 105-123. available from <http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/02683940510579759&gt; [20 March 2016]
5. Kirkbride, P. (2006) “Developing Transformationa Leaders: The Full Range Of Leadership Model In Action”. Emerald Insight 1 (38), 23-32
6. Marshall, M. (2012) Blackberry’S Leadership Failure: The Symbol Of Software’S Triumph Over Hardware [online] available from <http://venturebeat.com/2012/01/22/blackberrys-leadership-fail-the-symbol-of-softwares-triumph-over-hardware/&gt; [20 March 2016]
7. Meettheboss.tv, (2016) Bob Seelert Interview [online] available from <http://www.meettheboss.tv/video/full-interview-what-are-your-barriers-getting-it-done#&gt; [20 March 2016]
8. oeconsulting, (2016) Leadership Theories By Operational Excellence Consulting [online] available from <http://www.slideshare.net/oeconsulting/leadership-theories-by-operational-excellence-consulting&gt; [17 March 2016]
9. Rost, J. and Burns, J. (1991) Leadership For The Twenty-First Century. New York: Praeger
10. Tichy, N. and Charan, R. (1989) Speed, Simplicity, Self-Confidence: An Interview With Jack Welch [online] available from <https://hbr.org/1989/09/speed-simplicity-self-confidence-an-interview-with-jack-welch&gt; [20 March 2016]

Diversity and Team Management

Diversity and Team Management

Research has consistently shown that diverse teams produce better results, provided they are well led. The ability to bring together people from different backgrounds, disciplines, cultures, and generations and leverage all they have to offer, therefore, is a must-have for leaders (Ibarra and Hansen 2011: 71).

  

Diversity of a team can be measured by  gender, age, nationality or ethnicity. It can also be measured by international experience, education, industry and work experience of the team members. Hewlett classifies these distinctions between diversity as inherent and acquired diversity respectively (Hewlett et al. 2013)

A team is a selection of people, with a common purpose, collectively  working towards a set of objectives with expected results within a defined period (Mullins 2013).

In this paper, we provoke thinking on how a leader can combine the two key themes of diversity and team management to achieve efficiency and effectiveness.

Personalities in Diversity

There have been various studies on diversity of personalities (Mullins 2013).In one of such, Hans Eysenck proposes four distinct personality types – the stable extraverts, the unstable extravert, the stable introvert and the unstable introvert (Mullins 2013).  As the leader acknowledges the diverse personalities of his team members, he is able to achieve quick results if he takes time to understand his team members and get them to use their areas of strengths to add value to the team. Drucker (1999)

How to Get the Best of Team Members

A leader is one who influences his team members to understand and agree about what needs to be done and how to do it (Yukl 2010:26). Leadership is incomplete until it compels an action or a change of mindset, emotion or attitude from the follower.

For short term team assignments, the team leader is usually tempted to employ the  transactional approach to leadership. He sees his leadership as a brief  stint or just an intervention and neither builds relationships nor impacts on values and mindsets. His approach is the ‘if it aint’ broken don’t fix it’ approach. Although he may achieve results at a cost, he also loses the opportunity to change lives and affect the larger society. In this instance, the transformational leadership is the preferred option. (Bass 1990).

An effective leader understands the concept of self management.He must be sensitive enough to realize the strengths, the values and performance mode of his team members (Drucker 1999). Although team members may differ in age, experience, sex, cultural backgrounds,knowledge, etc , it is possible to find a position of equilibrium at which each members feels comfortable in his own skin  and isn’t intimidated, threatened or undervalued by other team members. The team leader learns to bring out the best in each member when tasks are assigned according to their strengths, weaknesses and their team role.

One of the most popular team role frameworks has been proposed by Belbin(1993,2010). He suggests that the success of a team lies in members recognizing their team roles out of the nine he prescribes (Plant, Specialist, Monitor Evaluator, Implementer, Shaper, Completer Finisher, Team Worker, Coordinator and Resource Investigator).These roles are grouped into three main categories and each team should have a good distribution of all the roles. Belbin posits that a team without the variety of team roles will lack variety and creativity.

The Challenge of Leading a Diverse Team

In many cases, teams do not start out as cohesive. Each team member comes with a programmed mind (Hofstede 1980:25A): Cultural tendencies such as collectivism may be considered awkward for the individualistic team member. Likewise one who comes from a masculinity (tough) culture may be found brutish for a a person from a feminine (soft) culture.

Tuckman and Jensen (1977) propose a framework for team formation.  Through the process of  forming, storming and norming, team members gradually develop a rapport and the team settles and  organises to tackle the task of common interest, adjourning when necessary. The job of the leader is to see that objective of the group is achieved.

Fig 1: Tuckman and Jensen Framework (CULC 2016)

 

How Does the Leader Achieve Effectiveness with a Diverse Team?

Fig 2 Hill’s Model for Team Leadership  (University of Vermont 2011)

One shortcoming of the Tuckman and Jensen’s framework in the context of team building is that it does not identify the leader nor list is responsibilities. Hill in his model for team leadership proposes that the leader provides oversight and moderation though his choice of decisions followed by guided actions, the outcome of which would lead to the effectiveness and overall accomplishment of the team (North house 295:2013). Time and space would permit to compare the Hill’s model with Drucker’s 5 operations of a manager (CULC 2016). Both frameworks elucidate on how the leader maintains discipline and single-mindedness in the achievement of the objective of the team.

My Experience

My team experiences both professional and academic have taught that  diversity does not deter efficiency or effectiveness but rather stimulate creativity. I have also learnt  that result driven leadership could require letting down one’s hair while remaining disciplined and focussed to get the best from team members.

Coutu (2009) prescribes a deviant for every team, someone who will constantly challenge status quo and might even appear as a pain sometime with his divergent view which actually helps to keep the group on course. At another extreme, the leader may be the one to challenge stars quo by developing capacity to engage and develop team members like Sam, an autistic teenager, otherwise known as the dancing barista. Sam’s story is presented in the attached videos.

A leader’s willingness to take interest in and develop someone whom society had labelled unemployable shows that leading a diverse team may require additional effort . However, with the right convictions, it can lead to success. In this video, Chris, Sam’s manager, demonstrated transformational leadership, by painstakingly training Sam to work to the rhythm of the music and perform his tasks.

A transformational leader who meets the emotional needs of his team members will always succeed. I strongly believe that cultural, personality, gender, age, disabilities, etc can be dealt with when the team leader does not lose sight of his function (Drucker 1977). In other words, the role of the team leader is to provide vision and equip his team members with an enabling environment for execution. Once this is done, the following quote holds true:

 

“The test of an organisation is not genius, it is its capacity to make common people achieve uncommon performance” Peter Drucker

 

 

References

1. Bass, M. (1990) From Transactional To Transformational Leadership: Learning To Share The Vi…: Ebscohost [online] available from <http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?sid=bc705632-ce0c-4428-821f-a49e064bd88f%40sessionmgr113&vid=0&hid=115&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=bth&AN=9607211357&anchor=AN9607211357-7&gt; [5 March 2016]
2. Fleischmann, C. (2016) Autism Barista AKA Dancing Barista [online] available from <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukDKrwoL36g#action=share&gt; [22 January 2016]
3. CULC, (2016) M005 U5K1 Leading Teams. 
4. CULC, (2016) M005 U4K1 What Managers Do Jan 2016. 
5. Hofstede, G. (2001) Culture’s Consequences. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications Second Edition, Thousand Oaks CA: Sage Publications, 2001
6. Hewlett, S., Marshall, M. and Sherbin, L. (2013) “How Diversity Can Drive Innovation”. Harvard Business Review
7. Northouse, P. (2013) Leadership. 6th edn. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage
8. Mullins, L. (2013) Management. 10th edn. Great Britain: Pearson
9. O Loughlin, D. (2013) Creating Teams That Work — A Position Paper On Team Effectiveness [online] available from <https://www.cscollege.gov.sg/Knowledge/Pages/Creating-Teams-That-Work.aspx&gt; [5 March 2016]
10. The Ellen Show, (2016) Ellen Meets The Dancing Starbucks Barista [online] available from <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaRqqVDAaQo&gt; [8 March 2016]
11. Coutu, D. (2009) Why Teams Don’T Work [online] available from <https://hbr.org/2009/05/why-teams-dont-work&gt; [8 March 2016]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leadership and Ethics

Man has an insatiable thirst for leadership. It is displayed in the high demand for leadership titles where  Amazon, stocks over 80,000 books on leadership, and on Google where searches for on topics on leaders and leadership records millions of hits everyday.

What is Leadership?

A very common answer to this question is to say that leadership is influence. In addition, leadership is the ability to motivate, inspire and energise people without coercion but by satisfying their basic human needs for achievement, recognition, self esteem, self control and the ability to fulfill one’s ideals. Kotter(2011)

Such a profound perspective on leadership could also imply that ethical behavior is a core ingredient for successful leadership. According to Brown et al (2005), ethical leadership is ‘the demonstration of normatively appropriate conduct through personal actions and interpersonal relationships, and the promotion of such conduct to followers through two-way communication, reinforcement, and decision-making’

Who is an Ethical Leader?

It Is expected of an ethical leader is to demonstrate values of altruism, honesty, empowerment, fairness and justice ( Yukl 2012).

Yidong and Xinxin (2012) suggest that ethical leadership encourages motivation and innovation in the organisation.

They will perform well and reach their potentials because they feel a sense of ownership developed by knowing that their leaders care about their interests (Brown et. al 2005)

Although many known organisation profess ethics as part of the core values, Barker (2006:19) argues that an organisation can only be as ethical as its leaders.When the boss or the CEO is unethical, the organisation’s core values, no matter how ethical are put to question.

“We also realize it all starts with leadership. If an organization’s leaders don’t model, encourage, expect and reward the right behaviors, why should anyone else in that organization exhibit those behaviours “- Jim McNerny, former Chairman of Boeing

An Irony

It does appear that an ethical organisation does not necessarily qualify as a valuable company in terms of brand equity and even in terms of monetary worth. A quick comparison between Ethisphere’s 2015 list of the world’s most ethical company with Milward’s Brown’s 2015 list of the world’s most valuable brands confirms this. This will form the subject of another blog writing in future.

HP as an Ethical Organisation

HP as a company captures its corporate culture in ‘The HP Way’, a philosophy known for its strong values in ethics and integrity However, it witnessed in quick succession the inglorious exit of two of its CEOs on allegations of ethical misconduct.

Both Patricia Bunn and Mark Hurd could have been pardoned on the basis of teleological ethics due to value added to the company but their exit was unavoidable based on the company’s due to the company’s deontological approach. (Nokuchi and Nakashima (2006), Blodget, H (2011)

Why Do Employees keep silent when the boss is unethical

As the above example and other  similar high profile cases like Enron, Arthur Anderson, Lehman Brother, Libor and the likes have shown, unethical leadership has far reaching consequences on the organisation at large. While we are aware that the office of the CEO has attached to it a retinue of staff who manage his calendar, his itinerary and even prepares his memo, one then wonders why any of these did not save the company from disaster by speaking up. Could they possibly be unethical as well? There may be several reasons but I bring up just two:

1. Teleological Ethics. The employee believes that as long as he is obeying the last order and has not committed any offence and also that the consequence of the action will benefit a wider audience if the atmosphere remains unsettled. for him, morality is determined by the outcome of the moment, which at that time may result in saving face for the CEO, rather than moral ideals espoused by society
2. Powerlessness: According to Uhl-Bien and Carsten (2007) The employee may feel that he can not really affect the determination of the desired consequence. Powerlessness in the face of unethical issues occurs when the employee feels low self esteem, insecurity and there is a prevailing culture in the company which discourages communication.

How to Promote Ethical Leadership

Empower the employees

Empowered employees will rise through the ranks to become ethical leaders.Uhl-Bien and Carsten (2014) suggest the practice of up-ward leadership as a support for ethical leadership. In this case, employee engagement and involvement is developed through trainings to develop personal power and upward leadership skills. This supports the research by Ciulla (2003:23) suggesting that the leadership starts with self awareness and self discovery.(Lakshmi 2014)

The organisation should also provide an enabling an environment to foster communication and develop in each employee a sense of responsibility, making him or her active partners in the leadership process.

In conclusion, ethical employees become ethical leaders. Ethics and leadership have become so inseparable that organisations must promote an ethical culture in order to breed ethical leaders who will constantly replicate their culture until ethical practices become second nature and a default expectation for and from the society at large.

 

 

 

 

 

References

Blodget, H. (2011) Check Out How Much Mark Hurd’s Exit From HP Has Cost HP Shareholders… [online] available from <http://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-mark-hurds-exit-from-hp-has-cost-hp-shareholders-2011-4?IR=T&gt; [13 February 2016]

Bort, J. (2014) Meet Oracle’s New Co-CEO, Mark Hurd [online] available from <http://www.businessinsider.com/a-closer-look-at-oracle-co-ceo-mark-hurd-2014-9?IR=T&gt; [13 February 2016]

Brown, M. and Trevino L. (2006) “Ethical Leadership: A Review And Future Directions”. The Leadership Quarterly 17 (6), 595-616

Cuilla, Joanna B. (2013, December 10). Emerging Issues in Leadership: Culture,Gender and Ethics. Retrieved From the International Leadership Association website: http://www.ila-net.org.

 

Ethisphere® Institute | Good. Smart. Business. Profit.®, (2016) Honorees [online] available from <http://worldsmostethicalcompanies.ethisphere.com/honorees/&gt; [16 February 2016]

 

O’Brien, G. (2010) Mark Hurd Leadership Failure | Business Ethics [online] available from <http://business-ethics.com/2010/08/07/4535-mark-hurds-leadership-failure/&gt; [14 February 2016]

Millward Brown, (2016) 2015_Brandz_Top100_Report [online] Millward Brown. available from <https://www.millwardbrown.com/BrandZ/2015/Global/2015_BrandZ_Top100_Report.pdf&gt; [16 February 2016]

 

Noguchi, Y. and Nakashima, E. (2006) Chairman, Director Resign In HP Scandal [online] available from <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/12/AR2006091200610.html&gt; [16 February 2016]

Lakshmi, B. (2014) Leadership Ethics In Today’S World: Key Issues And Perspectives**. [online] available from <http://web.a.ebscohost.com/bsi/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&sid=4bbb56d9-2c9b-4fa0-af5d-10329f7beb9e%40sessionmgr4005&hid=4212&gt; [16 February 2016]

 

Uhl-Bien, M. and Carsten, M. (2007) “Being Ethical When The Boss Is Not”. Organizational Dynamics 36 (2), 187-201

Yidong, T. and Xinxin, L. (2012) “How Ethical Leadership Influence Employees’ Innovative Work Behavior: A Perspective Of Intrinsic Motivation”. J Bus Ethics 116 (2), 441-455

 

 

Change Simulation Game

 

 

 

There seems to be no straight jacketed formula to obtaining an MBA at CULC. It’s not all about burying your head in between books.One day it’s lectures, another it’s with the seminars, and then there has been the TED-like talk and then of most recent yesterday’s Change Simulation game.

I’m supposed to write the three most important lessons  from the simulation game but i can’t choose which are the most important three so i’ll just connect them all. Actually i have always lived with these lessons.  Yesterday’s game only served as a reminder.

A little background information: We were vital parts of a simple supply chain process with the task of developing a  product and  passing it through the value chain until  it gets to customer. Did we achieve good results? Not so good in the short term – our team ranked 4th out of four teams.

The lessons: When working in a group, it is best to come together as a group, and agree on how best to approach the assignment. There’s no point starting to work in silos, making assumptions and only to realize at the dime minute that we should come together and strategize. We lose time and resources this way.

One other thing is about communication, effectiveness and clarity makes a whole big difference. We would have fared better if the CEO had understood my proposal for some initial changes. She didn’t and i was also not emphatic enough, i should have convinced here. That was costly for us. So it’s better to plan, communicate clearly, be sure of what you want, work as a team from the beginning and focus on achieving the results.

Leadership is also important. Although we didn’t quite appoint a leader, but i was a focal point in the group.There was at least another strong personality and between us we gave the team some direction.

Interpersonal relations also help us work better as a team.  I was quite surprised when one of my team mates whom i had only just met that morning, without any introductions, called me by my first name. It brought faster result, communication barriers were broken.

 

I am told there are more projects, team activities and simulations in the coming days. Lessons learnt yesterday have become like ammunition.I have packed them carefully and stored them in my my armoury. Applying them one at a time strategically in terms 2 -4, i will conquer this MBA. (I don’t quite want to say conquer my enemy as it’s not really an enemy , just a challenge)

Suddenly, my MBA has become a battlefront.

As i continue to pray, may the Good Lord on my side see me through and make me victorious.  Amen

 

 

CULC Business Live Challenge

It’s the CULC Live Business Business Challenge week when  learning is expected to take a different form.

Today was quite interesting. I signed up for three events. All three were instructional and highly beneficial.

TED-like Talk

I tried to  imagine that i was in a real TED talk. I could almost see the red insignia. I allowed my imagination to catapault me from my sit and place me  in front of the audience addressing them. I was talking about myself as a brand. How i am still on a journey of self discovery, one thing today and another tomorrow. How i see no limitations in my learning. My neocortex may be well past  the mouldable stage but my mind is just as flexible and open to new ideas any of  my younger colleagues. I am strong, i am constantly inspired and challenged to step out, to rise above my self imposed barriers, i don’t give up easily…..

I am jolted back to reality when the first speaker rounds off her talk and i realize i’m just somewhere there in the audience, listening. Someday, i will spread my own ideas too.

For now, let me share some of their ideas in my own words:

“Business is not only about profit,it should translate into value added for you, your family and also society” – Hangxing Cao

“My Brand is my unique promise of value” – Joshie Juggessur

” I learnt from my father that even if all you have to do is sweep the floor, then do it better than anyone else.

“A desk is a dangerous place to view the world, get up and do something”

“Don’t underestimate the power of setting a good example, lead by example always. Others are watching”

–  Chris Matthews

” You’ve got to find what you love, you’ve got to love what you do and you must keep looking, don’t settle.

Follow your heart, Follow your intuition, Do what you believe, find what you love, love what you do. Believe in something (God). – All from the video of Steve Jobs at Stanford University,

There’s another one from Steve Jobs – ‘Stay Hungry Stay Foolish’. I’m still trying to get to the root of that. Not quite sure i have fully grasped it yet.

“If you work hard, luck will follow.”- Kalliopi

I am modifying that in line with my beliefs, God is the controller of destinies so i choose to rewrite that as, if you work hard, God will honour your sweat.

Term 4 Options

The presentations were very explanatory. The underlying message was that there are no easy short cuts to graduation. Which ever option you choose, it’s  45units and earning 45units takes more than a stroll in the park

By the end of Term 2 i need to be sure of my Term 4 option. For me, it must Internship or Entrepreneurship, certainly not Business Simulation or Dissertation please.

Marketing Automation

Dmitry’s presentation, started with Scriggler.com, his startup and ended with programming for marketing automation. Something he has practiced very well to grow followers on his site. It seemed to me that a  lot of students were not expecting the dimension he followed. Perhaps they though it was just going to be about marketing , the 6Ps and all but this was not  the conventional marketing presentation.It was practical on how to increase your followers, using twitter through your social media presence. I was a little scared that he was teaching us how to hack! Quite complicated although he insists it all simple.I might just try my hands on the tips one day maybe when i have sometime. i am particularly interested in the Email mining.It could help grow contact list for my business in Nigeria

I must alway ask questions after presentations. I must always conceptualize my thought process. I have always known this but i still don’t do it. Why?

I did walk up to him to ask a question about the programming process he talked about but

I should have asked a question about Scriggler which may have benefited others listeners.  Why does he think its a good idea. It’s certainly more intellectual than some other social media content apps. Maybe because the question only hit me after i checked it when i got home. I’m liking it though and i have signed up. It might just help to inspire and improve my writing .

 

It was a long day. I left CULC a little after 5pm, hungry, tired but fully motivated and inspired.

 

 

The Much Awaited Presentation

 

 

Friday was not going to be like any other day. It was the day scheduled for  the ‘Almighty Presentation’ in front of other students.

I was eager to get it over and done with. I really didn’t feel comfortable about my group’s presentation and that affected my self confidence. I felt we didn’t put in enough effort to impress the audience.

Although there was no condemnation of our presentation, (at least not yet and hopefully it won’t come to that) i took time to reflect on the build up to it as i went home on Friday.

What went wrong? We had one team member who seemed to know what was right to do, the shaper, whom we gave so much responsibility and who as far as i am concerned was a disappointment.

So what happened to others? At least two others in the group were also  uncomfortable but we still didn’t do much about it.It all comes to that eight-letter word Teamwork.

Teamwork is not leaving it all to one member to sort out. Teamwork is not about contributing your small portion into the whole  and hoping it all fits together somehow.Even when you personally can’t say how your part fits into the whole.

Teamwork starts with an attitude. An individual attitude that defines success based on one’s personal contribution  and support to the team. So did all give their best? Maybe not. As postgraduate students a lot more is desired. Additionally, after paying £15,000, one’s brain should be wired for award winning thinking.

Perhaps i’m just being hard on myself because my team members didn’t really feel bad about the presentation but i’m different.I always tell my kids to put in the Wao factor into their work. I’m not quite sure i did in mine this time. But i tried, i know i did.

Our presentation was not that bad.Just that it lacked lustre. The facts were there, the slides were easy to read, we didn’t read from the screen but i’m not sure how convincing we were.

By my own assessment, not all the other presentations were that good, but i took note of a few notable ones and they made the time worth the while for me. They challenged me.

Today, i leave you with my thoughts on Teamwork. Knowing that the whole program here at CULC  is built around Teamwork, i really must brace up and ensure it tilts in my favour and works to my advantage.

Adios!

 

 

Data Analyses

Our questionnaire was nicely done and we sent it out.

The results came back in a large volume the first few days and then in trickles. I must confess that we lost steam. However the information was still in time for us to be able to sample data from our potential customers.

An idea of a nightclub around Liverpool street seemed to be popular especially amongst the ladies. One even remarked that it would be the chance for her to put on her heels and let her hair down.

Like most of what i have to do here , i found the experience of putting together the data analysis interesting and challenging.

First, is it analysis or analyses? It must be analysis. Analyses is when it is in the plural form and i have more than one set of data to analyze. I have suddenly become the tutor and i know what it should be. 😄

A good analysis is all about interpreting data and explaining in simpler terms what it means and what inferences to draw from it.

The software made it a bit easier because it already classified the information in graphical form – bar charts, pie charts and the likes.

All that was needed was to pick the necessary points and say what it would  mean in relation to the research at hand.

In summary, it was a quite straight forward but as they say, practice makes perfect. The more of it i have to do the better i become at it.

 

I must surely get to the top of that mountain in my first blog!

My God help me.

 

And Then I Had To Design a Questionnaire

I continue to find APS very useful as i progress in my journey towards my MBA degree. The theory and practical aspects  learnt so far have been very useful for learning how to conduct a research. Now i know the basic steps to take and i am so proud of myself for this!

Have i mentioned here that we have a project to conduct a feasibility study  on the possibility of establishing a night club around  Liverpool Street Station? Not so sure.

So let me tell you a little about it. I am in a group along with five other students and we have done some initial research by exploring the area to check suitability and then we each wrote a literature review. I must have mentioned that in my last post.

The next step after the the literature review is to put together a questionnaire.The good thing about the questionnaire is that it supports or disproves the information provided from the reviewed literature. It is also called the primary research data.

 

The questions were quite straight forward. No open ended questions. At least the tutor made sure of that. She made sure we did it right. Ten questions can appear like hundred when you don’t know where to start.Anyway, we eventually got the wind of it and it came out quite nicely.

We agreed to distribute our questions to 50 respondents through the use of SurveyMonkey. This is quite unconventional because the orthodox method, particularly in my part of my world is printed paper. Apart from the fact that we saved a few trees😄, it also made the data gatehring so much faster.

Let’s just hope it gives us authentic results!